LONDON: Chelsea striker Fernando Torres is fit to lead the line for their new manager Andre Villas-Boas when the Portuguese makes his Premier League debut in the dugout at Stoke City in Sunday’s early kickoff (1230 GMT).
The 33-year-old coach, who joined the club in June after Chelsea paid 15 million euros to trigger an escape clause in his Porto contract, has yet to decide on his starting lineup.
However, he clearly plans to provide the attacking football craved by the club’s Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich with Torres and Didier Drogba both likely to play.
“Maybe also (Nicolas) Anelka,’ Villas-Boas told reporters at the club’s training ground where he said Torres, who came off with mild concussion after just 14 minutes of Spain’s midweek friendly defeat by Italy, is expected to be available. “(Daniel) Sturridge is the one suspended from last season but a couple of forwards are threatening for that position. “We are favouring a 4-3-3 formation in our beginning, that’s what we have been playing in pre-season, and we have a couple of players threatening for that central striker’s position. (Agencies)